


Children of the Force

by crewdlydrawn



Category: Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Ending, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Fix It, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Spoilers, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Spoilers, if this many words even counts as that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-31
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:34:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 618
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22041145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/crewdlydrawn/pseuds/crewdlydrawn
Summary: A reimagined battle.**THIS WORK CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE LATEST MOVIE.**
Kudos: 7





	Children of the Force

**Author's Note:**

> Basically, RoS made me really mad with its close out on Ben's story arc, and this is how I would rather that bit have gone.

"... _sacrifice_..."

The word echoed in Rey's brain, ricocheting off the walls of a skull that had already taken a pounding from force-drain. She stood alone, an audience of echoes cheering for her blood, for her death, for the power and balance to tip to Palpatine as he stood propped before her. All of the training she'd put herself through, all of the abilities she'd gained, and they'd come from _HIM_. 

Her grip tightened on Leia's lightsaber, enough that her own fingernails bit into her palm. Had it all been for this? Growing stronger, only to have more power for her grandfather to steal from her? To use against all that she stood for and loved? 

No. 

_Sacrifice_. Rey straightened. He didn't have all the power he needed. She couldn't beat him alone, but she could take that away from him. Extinguishing the saber, she held it towards her chest. "I won't let you have it." Glowing eyes narrowed at her, and Rey raised her chin. 

"Rey! No!" 

Whirling, Rey looked back across the crumbling arena, and saw Ben--hauling himself over the ragged edge of the chasm from which Palpatine had thrown him. He had Luke's saber. Lowering her own, Rey stepped back as he approached, until they were side by side, only adrenaline and stubborn unwillingness to fall keeping them on their feet. Together, they faced him, together, they raised their lightsabers. 

"You are no match." A sneer bent the gnarled features visible beneath Palpatine's hood. "Now _I_ am all of the Sith," the sibilant tongue continued, fingers raised, a threatening arc to their warped knuckles. 

A chill ran up Rey's spine, but not from fear. She heard it, then: a whisper, and then another; a far away voice, and then another. Looking beside her, she met Ben's eyes, and she knew, she knew he heard them, too. 

_"We are with you." "We're here." "With you, we are."_

Among the voices, there was a feeling. It tingled the very edges of all of her nerves, from fingertips to toes, from scalp to soles. It ran through her, and it sparked like static in the air between her and Ben--not lightning, not like the dark power, but something much more elemental. It felt... it felt like _LIFE_. 

Ben's hand leapt out to grasp hers, and the feeling shot through them both like a bolt. She was speaking before she even knew what words were coming, and so was Ben, right along with her. 

"And _we_ are all of the _Jedi_."

Power surged between them, through them. It surrounded them, and bound them. As one, they rushed, and as one, they struck. 

Dual blades crashed in a sizzling scissor and slash, and Palpatine's body divided, fell, and dissolved into the floor. Echoes of wails crowded their ears as their audience dissipated, disappeared. 

In just moments, there was silence, but for the breaths in their lungs and the electric buzz rattling through their fingers. Ozone filled Rey's nostrils, and she extinguished her saber, looking down at it before dropping it to the ground with an echoing clatter. Ben's was next, though trembling fingers clipped it to his damaged belt. 

"It's... it's over," she breathed, her voice faint in her own ears. Static still tingled through her fingers as they were squeezed, as a hand cradled her jaw, and brought her face upward. Dark brown eyes sought safety in hers, and she could still see the echoes of waves in them, of light and life, of the force itself. A grin broke over her features, and a near giggle bubbled along with it. 

Ben's face creased quickly, a grin to match, and he pressed his forehead to hers. "It's over."


End file.
